The track record of apex court is not clean.
There is secrecy involved in selection , promotion , transfer of judges to high
court & supreme court. Supreme court judges take huge pay , perks from
public exchequer ( now on the verge of getting triple fold increase in pay )
but are not accountable to public. They don’t give information to public ,
concerning judges and national security , public welfare.

Consider
the case of Dalit judge of sukma , chattisgarh , he was removed for being
honest , for upholding law ? Now, Justice Karnan a whistle blower is being
victimized. Apex court is not looking seriously
at issues raised by justice
karnan but concentrating on silencing him.

When other high ranking judges ( having
influence & belonging to
upper castes ) were accused of more
grave crimes like involvement in sex racket , sex crimes against women ,
national security crimes , etc , they
were treated with kid gloves , cases hush hushed , white washed. Inspite of
fervent appeals even
apex court didn’t bother to
conduct a public , transparent enquiry. Now apex court has
initiated suo motto “contempt proceedings “ against Justice Karnan as he is a
DALIT , without influence of
powers that be.

So many dalits , weaker section people were
cheated of their job oppurtunities in mysuru university
, KSOU , Various Government Medical colleges , Government aided ITIs , Polytechnics in Karnataka state by scheming
upper caste officials. Inspite of
repeated appeals , why apex court has not taken legal prosecution to logical
end and ensured justice to aggrieved
dalits ? What action supreme court has
taken against KPSC , VYAPAM members who
denied job oppurtunities to merited
candidates , dalit & weaker section candidates ? ? let alone take suo motto action . No action to logical
end. Day in day out there are rampant atrocities against dalits ,
weaker sections of people. Supreme court judges are enjoying lakhs of rupees
pay , perks , 5 star bungalows , foreign
trips , weeks long summer / winter
paid vacations , proposed triple fold salary hike all at tax payer’s expense. These judges must be first booked for
“Atrocities against Dalits , Weaker sections”
under SC / ST Atrocities Prevention Act.

If at
all , Supreme Court of India is impartial , without bias , let it come out
clean :

1.To immediately
stay contempt proceedings against Justice Karnan and Order impartial enquiry
against judges accused of corruption , impropriety by Justice Karnan and
all other issues raised by him. Take the help of Justice Karnan in collecting
evidences.

2.Order impartial
enquiry against almost half of former chief justices of india accused of
corruption by NGOs.

4.Immediately
give truthful , full information , answers to RTI questions sent to
Supreme Court of India by our publication years ago. Inspite of several appeals
, majority of questions are unanswered & for few questions got ambiguous
answers.

“There is a higher
court than the court of justice and that is the court of conscience It
supercedes all other courts. ”

- Mahatma Gandhi

“Contempt
Proceedings” should not be used as a weapon to silence voices
seeking justice , accountability of judiciary. Respect of judiciary
doesn’t come out of fear rather spontaneously it comes out of a person’s heart
when he sees a honest judge doing his duties honestly.

In what might be a first, Calcutta
high court's Justice S C Karnan, facing a notice
from the Supreme Court in a contempt case, has lashed
out at the apex court, accusing it of harbouring a caste bias against him.

In defiance of the SC's decision and sharply escalating the confrontation with
the apex court, Karnan accused the CJI J S Khehar-led seven-judge bench
of uppercaste bias in initiating proceedings as he
belonged to the Dalit community.

Karnan virtually alleged that the court order amounts to an offence under the
law to punish atrocities against Dalits and tribals and challenged the court to
refer his case to Parliament.

He said: "The suo motu order against me, a Dalit judge, is unethical and
goes against the SC and ST (Prevention of) Atrocities Act. It is certainly a
national issue and a wise decision would be to refer the issue to the House of
Parliament."

The judge argued that since the order against him was "harsh", the
contempt case should be heard after CJI Khehar retired or placed before
Parliament if this was not possible.

In his anxiety to respond to the SC's February 8 judicial order, Karnan
addressed a four-page letter to the SC's registrar general, a post that no
longer exists as it was redesignated years ago as secretary general.

Karnan, who has been at the centre of several controversies, was issued a
notice and asked to present himself in the Supreme Court on February 13 to
explain "scurrilous" allegations against sitting and former judges.

In response to the apex apex court's contempt proceedings, Justice Karnan said:
"The suo motu petition is not maintainable against a sitting judge of the
HC... I have sent representations to various government authorities regarding
high irregularities and illegalities occurring at the judicial courts.

I am also a responsible judge to control such high irregularities, especially
corruption and malpractice. I have furnished comprehensive proof of unethical
practices happening with the respective courts.

'Upper caste judges taking law into hands'

He had earlier written to the National Commission for Scheduled
Castes, levelling charges of anti-Dalit bias against the chief justice of the
Madras high court in 2014 when he was a member of the bench there.

Referring to the February 8 order that also stripped him of judicial and
administrative work, Karnan said: "The characteristic of this order
clearly shows that the upper caste judges are taking law into their hands and
misusing their judicial power by operating the same against a SC/ST judge
(Dalit) with mala fide intention to get rid of him."

Referring to the "harsh order" passed earlier by a bench headed by
Khehar, Karnan said: "Therefore, my deep request is to hear the suo motu
contempt after retirement of the Chief Justice of India. In the meanwhile, my
administrative work and judicial assignment could be restored.

My main contention is only to uproot
the corruption prevailing at the Madras high court, and not to spoil the
sanctity and decorum of the court."

"I (had) issued a list of the corrupted judges wherein an inquiry is
mandatory, as such the suo motu petition is not maintainable. The order of the
apex court in the suo motu contempt petition is erroneous and has been wilfully
and wantonly and with mala fide intention was passed.

Therefore, these proceedings may be referred to Parliament, wherein I will
establish the high rate of corruption prevailing with the judiciary at the
Madras high court."

Indicating that he might not present himself before the seven-judge bench of
the SC on February 13, he said: "The Supreme Court had not granted stipulated
time (for him to respond to the contempt notice), which is highly
irregular."

DALIT Judge dismissed
for being HONEST ?

- An
Appeal to Honourable Chief Justice of India

Chief Judicial Magistrate of Sukma District in Chhattisgarh state of India Mr.
Prabhakar Gwal is a Dalit , from oppressed class. Being from an oppressed
class , he best understood the sufferings of oppressed
sections of society , sufferings of people , tribals displaced from
forests to make way for big industries , MNCs. He understood
the oppression of common public by police , state
machinery resulting in common man’s human rights ,
constitutional rights violations. He understood the machinations of
state machinery to favor big industrialists , also he understood the
misuse of office by public servants all against the rule of LAW.

Sukma CJM Mr. Gwal sincerely did his constitutional duty , to
uphold rule of law and earned the wrath of powers that be , Criminal Nexus , he
was repeatedly interfered in his judicial duties , repeatedly transferred
and now unjustly dismissed from service without ANY ENQUIRY giving
a chance for Mr.Gwal to make out his case. Whereas some other
selfish judges turned their blind eyes to the sufferings of public
, violations of law by public servants , intentionally failed to uphold
the law and got smooth sailing for their own career.

Hereby , We urge the Honourable Chief Justice of India to
order the Chhattisgarh State Government :

1. To
immediately reinstate Mr.Gwal into judicial service.

2. To make
posting at the same place , same court of Sukma , so that he can complete
the cases concerning the powers that be to the logical end.

3. To
initiate criminal legal prosecution against district
collector , police officials , public servants who directly &
indirectly interfered in the judicial duties performed by Mr. GWAL.

4. To initiate
criminal legal prosecution against Chhattisgarh High Court
Judges who instead of upholding rule of law , supporting Mr. Gwal in his
duties took sides with criminal nexus , powers that be and repeatedly
transferred him and now dismissed him from service without enquiry.

5. To reopen all
the buried cases which were dealt by Mr. Gwal and buried by transfer
of judge Mr. Gwal. To take action against ministers , public
servants involved in those cases.

6. To
initiate criminal action against sukma district collector , police
officials and Chhattisgarh High Court Judges on
charges of Atrocities against DALIT Mr. Gwal who was
repeatedly harassed by them.

7. To
initiate criminal prosecution under anti terror laws ,
against present and past chattisgarh state government
ministers , central government ministers , police officials ,
public servants who were and are responsible for creation of
terror outfit SALWA JUDUM , it’s recent terror child salwa judum –
2. These public servants have indulged in terror acts of salwa
judum , by aiding & sponsoring it , which is against law.

Date : 30.04.2016…………………………..Your’s
sincerely

Place : Mysuru………………………………Nagaraja.M.R.

Chief Judicial
Magistrate- Sukma district dismissed by Chhattisgarh Government

The Raman Singh government has
dismissed Sukma district’s Chief Judicial Magistrate Prabhakar Gwal from
service in “public interest”, following the recommendation of the Chhattisgarh
High Court. Mr. Gwal, a Dalit Magistrate was dismissed on the basis
of “available material” (not in public domain) without a internal/departmental
inquiry.

On April 4 afternoon, Mr Gwal had
updated the news of his termination via his Facebook account-

“DISTRICT COURT DANTEWADA
(918982620495):- //ORDER//

F.No.3335/987/XXI-B/C.G./16Raipur, dated 01.04.2016

“Government of Chhattisgarh
state hereby, dismisses Shri prabhakar gwal, Member of lower Judicial Services,
Civil judge class-I and Chief judicial magistrate, Sukma, from service in
public interest with immediate effect.

District and sessions JudgeSouth Baster dantewada C.G.”

Earlier, Gwal had hit the headlines
for alleging that a BJP legislator, Ramlal Chouhan, had threatened him after he
convicted five people in connection with the leak of PMT question papers in
2011. His wife too had written to the President alleging harassment, claiming
that Gwal was transferred to Sukma as a result of his judgment. Mr Prabhakar
had accused a ruling BJP MLA of threatening him over the judgment.

Mr. Gwal has had a history of
exposing corrupt officials and politicians. While Gwal was posted in Bilaspur,
he had ordered an inquiry against government officials and Police officers, for
the infamous ‘Bhadaura Land-Scam’. The land scam is known for involvement of a
senior minister of BJP (Amar Agrawal). Similarly, he had ordered for inquiry of
Bilaspur RTO officials. He was then transferred to Raipur, where he rejected to
accept Closure Report in the case of IPS Rahul Sharma’s suicide. After that he
was transferred to Dantewada. Recently his phone conversation with Dantewada
Collector had gone viral, in which Collector had asked Gwal to consult him
before ordering to file any case.

He is known for taking strong actions
against the executive arm of the government and enjoys a public image of being
an upright man. His dismissal comes after his wife filed a civil case against 19
people including judicial officers for harassing her husband. HC stayed that
case, meanwhile his dismissal was recommended.

A Dalit officer
being dismissed in such a one-sided, clouded, swift manner raises larger
questions on the system itself. Was he an inconvenient man who didn’t
understand the system and it’s ‘norms’? Did his voice against BJP MLA (Ramla
Chauhan), Mr Amar Agarwal and Mr Neeraj Bhansod (for interfering in judicial
work) made higher ups uncomfortable? These questions are being raised after his
dismissal. The ball is in the judiciary and government court to clear and come
out clean. A dismissal order by merely stating, that ‘it is in public
interest’ doesn’t fit the democratic norms in 2016.

On 14 April, the Chhattisgarh
government dismissed Sukma’s Chief Judicial Magistrate Prabhakar Gwal. A 2006
batch judicial officer, Gwal, belongs to the Dalit community and has questioned
the manner in which the police have been indiscriminately arresting tribals in
the conflict zones of Chhattisgarh.

On 8 February, the Sukma
Superintendent of Police complained to the District Judiciary against Gwal
stating that among other things he has been granting bail to naxal accused and
such decisions have “adversely affected the morale of the security forces” and
“weakens the judicial process”. It is based on such complaints that
Chhattisgarh government dismissed Gwal on the grounds of “public interest”
following the recommendation of the Chhattisgarh High Court. The Indian
Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL), in a press release, has protested

against the dismissal of Gwal,
calling it unjustified. It said: “Police high-handedness and harassment of
those involved in the administration of justice is nothing new to the conflict
zones of Chhattisgarh. Recently advocates of the Jagdalpur Legal Aid
Group (JagLAG) have been forcefully evicted from Jagdalpur and pressure is
being mounted on them by the police administration and police backed vigilante
groups to cease their legal practice. JagLAG has been providing legal Aid
to many tribals incarcerated in Jagdalpur and Dantewada. Similarly Social
activists such as Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia and journalists like Malini Subramaniam,

Prabhat Singh, Santosh Yadav and
Somaru Nag who have been raising issues of Human rights violations by the
police administration have been threatened, attacked or even arrested. “ The
IAPL has alleged that under the pretext of “Mission 2016”, i.e., the present
offensive launched by the government to wipe out the Maoist movement in
Chhattisgarh, the police in these areas have been taking steps to see that no
alternate voice emanates from these areas. The IAPL has raised the larger issue
of keeping the judiciary away from police interference , following this
dismissal. “Chhattisgarh jails are filled with tribals who have been arrested,

several false and fabricated criminal
cases are foisted upon them and they remain incarcerated for several years. Anyone
who supports such tribals and questions the policies of the state are branded
as “terrorists” or “anti-national”. In such a situation, the judicial
system is their last hope. Hence, it is vital that the judiciary be allowed to
carry on its functions in accordance with law and without any interference from
the police”, it has said. That the dismissal coincides the recent briefing by
the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval for the Supreme Court Judges at
a retreat at the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, has led to concern among
the observers. If police excesses in the name of security concerns in conflict
zones are to be tolerated by the judiciary, and the judiciary meekly accepts
such advice from the Government, then the signs are ominous, according to
an activist lawyer, who has been fighting cases involving civil liberties. The
IAPL has alleged that executive interference in judiciary in this manner
militates against the basic structure of the Constitution which
emphasises separation of powers and independence of judiciary. Lawyers point
out that if the Executive is unhappy wih Gwal’s decisions, it has the option to
appeal against them in the higher courts. Dismissing a Judge, soley on
the ground of his decisions which were in favour of citizens, is inconsistent
with the concept of independence of judiciary, they suggest. IAPL has called
upon all, especially those from the legal fraternity to resist these
moves to prejudice the judiciary and also demanded the immediate reinstatement
of Prabhakar Gwal as the Sukma CJM. The press statement has been signed for
IAPL, among others, by wellknown advocate from Raipur, Sudha Bharadwaj.

Salwa Judum is illegal, says Supreme Court

In a blow to both the Chhattisgarh government and the Centre,
the Supreme Court has declared as illegal and unconstitutional the deployment
of tribal youths as Special Police Officers - either as 'Koya Commandos', Salwa
Judum or any other force - in the fight against the Maoist insurgency and
ordered their immediate disarming.

The ruling - issued on Tuesday by Justice B. Sudershan Reddy and
Justice S.S. Nijjar on the writ petition filed by social anthropologist Prof.
Nandini Sundar and others - strongly indicted the State for violating
Constitutional principles in arming youth who had passed only fifth standard
and conferring on them the powers of police.

The Bench said “the State of Chhattisgarh shall forthwith make
every effort to recall all firearms issued to any of the SPOs, whether current
or former, along with any and all accoutrements and accessories issued to use
such firearms. The word firearm as used shall include any and all forms of
guns, rifles, launchers etc., of whatever calibre.”

Writing the order, Justice Reddy directed the State of
Chhattisgarh to immediately cease and desist from using SPOs in any manner or
form in any activities, directly or indirectly, aimed at controlling,
countering, mitigating or otherwise eliminating Maoist/Naxalite activities in
the State of Chhattisgarh.

The court directed the Centre and the State of Chhattisgarh to
provide appropriate security forthwith, and undertake such measures “as are
necessary, and within bounds of constitutional permissibility, to protect the
lives of those who had been employed as SPOs previously, or who had been given
any initial orders of selection or appointment, from any and all forces,
including but not limited to Maoists/Naxalites.”

The Bench made it clear that the State of Chhattisgarh should
take all appropriate measures to prevent the operation of any group, including
but not limited to Salwa Judum and Koya commandos, that in any manner or form
seek to take law into private hands, act unconstitutionally or otherwise
violate the human rights of any person.

The Bench said “the measures to be taken by the State of
Chhattisgarh shall include, but not be limited to, investigation of all
previously inappropriately or incompletely investigated instances of alleged
criminal activities of Salwa Judum, or those popularly known as Koya
Commandos.”

The Bench held that the policy of the State violated the rights
under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of those being employed as SPOs in
Chattisgarh and used in counter-insurgency measures against Maoists/Naxalites,
as well as of citizens living in those areas.

The Bench was of the view that effectiveness of the force
"ought not to be, and cannot be, the sole yardstick to judge
constitutional permissibility. Whether SPOs have been effective against
Maoist/Naxalite activities in Chhattisgarh would seem to be a dubious, if not a
debunked, proposition given the state of affairs in Chattisgarh. Even if we
were to grant, for the sake of argument, that indeed the SPOs were effective
against Maoists/Naxalites, the doubtful gains are accruing only by the
incurrence of a massive loss of fealty to the Constitution, and damage to the
social order."

The Bench said "The primordial value is that it is the
responsibility of every organ of the State to function within the four corners
of constitutional responsibility. That is the ultimate rule of law.”

It said “Indeed, we recognise that the State faces many serious
problems on account of Maoist/Naxalite violence.Notwithstanding the fact that
there may be social and economic circumstances, and certain policies followed
by the State itself, leading to emergence of extremist violence, we cannot
condone it.”

The Judges said “The attempt to overthrow the State itself and
kill its agents, and perpetrate violence against innocent civilians, is
destructive of an ordered life. The State necessarily has the obligation, moral
and constitutional, to combat such extremism, and provide security to the
people of the country.”

Indian villagers
'crushed' between militia and Maoists

A controversial state-backed militia
has been reincarnated to take on leftist rebels in central India.

The violence that took place in
this village nearly a decade ago is still visible. Charred logs are all that
remain of a razed home, and barren land has replaced a once-thriving forest.

Residents of Bijapur district,
in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, fear the prospect of more fighting
as a once-banned militia, Salwa Judum, has been reincarnated to fight communist
groups opposed to resource extraction in the area.

Chhattisgarh has witnessed
armed conflict for several decades now, partly over the region's rich deposits of coal, iron
ore, and bauxite. The Indian government, which uses these minerals for
electricity generation and steel and cement production, has fought Maoist
groups known as Naxalites.

They oppose large-scale
mining, arguing it disrupts the socioeconomic fabric of the forest-dwelling
tribal people and harms the environment. The Naxalites began their armed
campaign in the 1970s because of what they say is an unequal distribution of
wealth.

In 2005, however, after nearly three
decades of fighting the Naxalites, the Indian government began arming a
civilian group to fight its battles. This militia, Salwa Judum, had a
better understanding of the terrain and the local language - and was more ruthless
than Indian security forces. Many villagers were forced to join the militia.

"The state was making us
fight its battles," said Rosan Nikam, a Bijapur resident for the past
three decades, speaking of how civilians were armed. "That had never
happened before. The security forces fought the Maoists, not common
villagers."

Many Salwa Judum members were
civilians who received arms training from the state government. The young
tribal members who were trained by the government came to be known as Special
Police Officers (SPOs) and Koya Commandos.

"It was clearly a
state-sponsored counterinsurgency programme," said Nandini Sundar, an
academic who petitioned India's Supreme Court against Salwa
Judum in 2007, a case that led

.02to the organisation's
banning four years later.

About 670 villages in the
Bastar region were affected by the ensuing violence, and although the residents
have by now rebuilt their homes, many of them remain destitute.

The Supreme Court of India
banned Salwa Judum in 2011, in light of the human rights violations it found it
had committed.

But in May this year, shortly
after the Chhattisgarh government signed agreements to build massive steel
plants in the Bastar region, a group called Vikas Sangharsh Samiti was launched
by Chhavindra Karma, with the aim of continuing Salwa Judum's struggle.

Salwa Judum had been led by
Karma's father, the late Mahendra Karma, a Congress party leader assassinated
by Naxalites along with 12 others as their convoy traveled through a forest in
May 2013.

Chhavindra Karma claims that
the Naxalites have killed 93 members of his extended family.

"Salwa Judum started with
peace marches in villages. The objective of these marches was to make the
people aware of Maoist excesses," said Karma. "It is the state that
began to train tribals with guns."

The militia's critics say it is
impossible to think of Salwa Judum as separate from the state. The SPOs and
Koya Commandos drew their salaries from the state, earning as much as 9,000
rupees ($138) per month.

The Supreme Court ruling banning
Salwa Judum forbids the creation of similar groups, but Vikas Sangharsh Samiti
hopes to get around this by using a different name and a different structure.

Authorities in the Home
Ministry in Delhi and the state government in Chhattisgarh did not respond to
Al Jazeera's repeated requests for
comment.

Chaitram Attami was a central
figure in Salwa Judum, and used to call the shots in the mineral-rich Dantewads
region.

He is now a local politician
and travels with four rifle-wielding bodyguards. Attami lives in the Kaasoli
camp, which is covered with barbed wire on all sides and has armed paramilitary
men manning the entry and exit points.

Given the public outcry against
Salwa Judum's new incarnation, Attami is taking a cautious approach.

"We will try and make it
peaceful," he said. He admitted that Vikas Sangharsh Samiti has begun to
go into the villages to warn their residents against supporting the Maoist
agenda - which is exactly how Salwa Judum began its activities.

Meanwhile, villagers who are
not affiliated with Salwa Judum or the Naxalites say they have borne the brunt
of the violence. Many people in the south Bastar region give dreadful accounts
of how their lives were turned upside down during the Salwa Judum era.

"We haven't completely
recovered from the violence unleashed on our villages a few years ago, and
there is already talk of more violence coming our way," said a 26-year-old
man, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from either
government security forces or the Naxalites.

Nikam, the Bijapur resident,
said: "My house was burned twice in 2007. Everything I had, including
my land documents, grains, bedding and clothes, were burned down."

Today, he cultivates what he
believes to be his land. He is not sure because he no longer has his documents.
If the authorities decide to evict him from his land, he will have no proof to
fight his case.

He said he does not dare to
take on the security forces for fear of false arrests, torture and
extrajudicial killings.

And the Naxalites have been
known to turn violent when villagers do not support them with information,
food, water, and shelter when asked to do so.

"I think we live between a
rock and a hard place," Nikam told Al Jazeera. "Sometimes, one is
softer than the other; but mostly, we are crushed."

Salwa Judum's war on the people

Will the Supreme
Court's Commissioners, ordered to carry out a fact-finding inspection, be
allowed to visit the cut-off villages in Dantewada and Sukma in Chhattisgarh,
and engage with the people on a long-term basis? KAVITA SRIVASTAVA

The Supreme Court order of March 29, 2011 asking its
Commissioners and the District Collector to carry out a joint inspection in the
three villages of Tademtla, Morapalli and Teemapuram, in the Chintalnaar area of
Dantewada District is very significant and let us hope that the Apex court
engages with the situation in these villages on a more long-term basis so that
relief actually reaches and the people can rebuild their ravaged lives.

It maybe recalled that these three villages were attacked and
burnt down by COBRA and Koya Commanders and SPOs of the Chhattisgarh Police on
March 11 and 16, 2011. The plan of the Government of Chhattisgarh is very
clear, which is to use the front of the Salwa Judum and SPOs and push these
people out from their villages into either migrating out of their homelands
into the Salwa Judum camps or to join the IDPs in Khammam, AP or go deeper into
the forest area and join the Maoists or stay in the village and die of hunger.
This tactics is not new. All this is being done in order to shrink the mass
base of the Maoists.

Documented state violence

This is how it was done in 2005 and the first report of the
PUCL, PUDR, carried out under the leadership of Dr. Binayak Sen, called “When
the State makes War against its own People”, clearly documented this. This was
also highlighted in subsequent human rights reports by various organisations
and individuals. After all, in the first phase of the Salwa Judum, they pushed
people out of their homes, hearth, farms, fields from hundreds of villages. It
is ultimately a game of who will actually control these lands. So, as it was
then so now, prevent people from being accessed, cut all communication and
supply lines to the village and let them either join “us” or “them” or “die”.

Thus it is a test whether the SC Commissioners will be allowed
to go to the area by the Chhattisgarh Government as the five earlier attempts
in the last one week made by people to reach these areas from the
Raipur-Jagdalpur-Sukma route was thwarted by stage-managed obstructions. And if
they do manage to go, will it be sustained by allowing supplies and
communication from being established?

The latest in the series of preventing the affected villagers
from getting any aid was that of the team of 10 Congress MLAs whose attempt of
going on March 29 with relief supplies was obstructed by the same set of people
with the support of the police.

Ex-Minister turned back

The Congress team was led by Ex Home Minister Nand Kumar Patel.
They left Sukma with food supplies at about 10.00 a.m. and proceeded towards
Chintalnar. This team too was stopped at the same village Polampalli, where the
Collector was stopped on March 24, 2011, by a group of about 25 SPOs and Salwa
Judum persons only. The IG, Long Kumar of Bastar who was escorting them,
instead of stopping the hoodlums prevented the Congress MLA team from going,
saying that he could not provide security to them as there was a risk involved
in going to the villages of Tadmetla, Morapalli, Teempuram. When the MLAs
insisted that they would go as they argued that this kind of resistance was
routine for politicians, they were told they would not be allowed. The IG,
instead of using his command and stopping the SPOs and Salwa Judum personnel
from breaking the law, arrested and brought the MLAs to Dornapal, where they
were released on personal bonds. The Congress MLAs left for Raipur by evening
to raise the issue in the State Assembly.

A day earlier, on March 28, on the instructions of the District
Collector, the Dornapal village Naib Tehsildar, Vijendra Patil, tried to take
relief to the three villages. At around noon he was stopped and not allowed to
proceed. When the ASI Dhruv tried to clear the obstruction at Polampalli he was
stopped by an SPO.

In the police hierarchy the SPO would be at the lowest rung, but
here they are the war lords. They even refused to take
instructions from the District Collector and the Divisional Commissioner who
tried to go there with supplies on March 24. They threatened the SDM who went
ahead with the supplies, then on March 26, Swami Agnivesh was stopped twice,
although he was being taken by the Additional SP Marawi in his own vehicle,
they did not spare their own senior and threw stones and smashed the vehicle.
It took the Additional SP two days of struggle to get an FIR lodged as the
local police station would not lodge a case against the Salwa Judum and SPO
lords of the region. And, of course, IG Long Kumar also does not want to
exercise his control over them.

Which means that till now, all those who have attempted to visit
those areas from the Sukma end have been prevented by the Government from going
there. On March 20 and 21, the Times of India and The
Hindu reporters were prevented from going to the area. They could only
reach there through a longer and difficult alternate route. The All India team
of members from the democratic rights organisations who went there on the same
dates as Swami Agnivesh could reach and conduct a fact finding could do so
because they took a third route to get there. This the first fact-finding team
that visited the area after September 2009, since the PUDR team had gone to
Gompad area when 16 people were killed by CRPF and other forces in its
Operation Green Hunt intervention. And subsequently teams were not allowed to
go to the affected areas (A women's team was not allowed to visit Samsetti
village to study a gang rape case on December 15, 2009. Professors Nandini
Sundar and Ujjwal Singh of DU were chased out of Dantewada and Sukma, were not
allowed to stay in any hotel on the eve of the new year of 2010. Then Medha
Patkar and Sandeep Pandey led a NAPM team of 40 people in early January, 2010
and they too were harassed and were not allowed to move freely into the areas
to hear the woes of tribals and then in May 2010 a team led by Prof. Yashpal
and 40 other intellectuals met the same fate).

Urgent questions

Now suppose the SC Commissioners are taken by chopper from
Raipur to these villages, then they will have to go alone and not with a local
team of journalists or villagers who can be objective local guides for such
visits. And then having gone once will they be able to sustain the access of
supplies with the help of the Supreme Court? Who will monitor it there? Till
public access of these villages is not assured nobody will know what is
happening there.

The news of how a Government lets its “lesser people” be killed,
raped, their houses and granaries burnt, allows them to live in conditions of
food scarcity, perhaps even die of starvation does not even make it to the
national channels. Soon this will be forgotten, till the Maoists strike back
and then we will only see channel after channel breaking news, calling the poor
tribals, terrorists, monsters and killers. And the human rights workers will be
verbally flogged with the pitch of the anchors going higher and higher on these
very channels.

Would not the Chhattisgarh Government be responsible for that
eventuality, if it ever happens? We should all raise our voices and stop this
from happening.

Kavita Srivastava is a national secretary of the People's Union
for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan and is the petitioner in the Supreme Court in
the PUCL petition on the Right to Food.

having gone once will they be able to sustain the access of
supplies with the help of the Supreme Court?

Salwa Judum-2 is born in Bastar

Salwa Judum founder Mahendra Karma’s son Chhavindra Karma and
former leaders of the anti-Maoist militia formed “Vikas Sangharsh Samiti” on
Monday in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, which will carry forward the work
of Salwa Judum in Bastar.

“I had invited all the leaders and workers associated with the
Salwa Judum for a meeting on Monday. The new samiti will strive to bring peace
to Bastar,” Chhavindra Karma told The Hindu .

Padyatra

Asked if it could be called Salwa Judum part two, Mr. Karma
said, “Yes, you can call it so. The new outfit will undertake padyatra (marches)
in various parts of Bastar to spread awareness against Maoism. We will seek the
help of the State government so that our awareness campaigns would be followed
by development works in the region.”

The Supreme Court had declared the Salwa Judum “illegal and
unconstitutional” and had ordered its disbandment in 2011.

“Peaceful movement”

Led by former Congress leader Mahendra Karma, the anti-Maoist
militia was blamed for large-scale “forcible displacement” of Bastar tribals
and extra-judicial killings.

“The Salwa Judum part two will be peaceful. Our main aim is to
finish Maoism in Bastar and bring development.

Already more than 18 village panchayats have banned the entry of
Maoists in their villages,” claimed Mr. Karma.

Chaitram Mattami, P.Vijay, Sattar Ali and Sukhram Dadi, who had
led Salwa Judum in their respective areas in its first edition, attended the
meeting on Monday.

Chaitram Mattami, P. Vijay and Mr. Chhavindra Karma would be
leading the new anti-Maoist outfit and its first major event will take place in
Karma’s ancestral village Faraspal in Dantewada on the second death anniversary
of Mahendra Karma on May 25. He died in a Maoist attack in 2013.

All Salwa Judum leaders from Konta block in Sukma to
Bhopalpattnam block in Bijpur district of Bastar attended Monday’s meeting,
claimed Mr. Karma.

In Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, a front
similar to Salwa Judum is taking shape

A decade after Mahendra Karma
launched Salwa Judum, the slain Congress leader’s son Chhavindra is trying to
start another movement against Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

A decade after Mahendra Karma launched Salma Judum, the slain Congressleader’s
son Chhavindra is trying to start another movement against Maoists in
Chhattisgarh, looking for police and government support and raising fears of a
rerun of the violence. Ashutosh Bhardwajreports from Bastar

The coincidence is stark. Exactly a decade ago, on June 4, 2005,
the Chhattisgarh government signed an MoU with the Tatas for a mega steel plant
in Bastar, with Maoists being the only hurdle. The following day, Salwa Judum
was launched to evict Maoists from the region, a move that went on to define
the last decade of the insurgency.

Last month in Dantewada, in PM Narendra Modi’s presence, the Raman Singh
government signed MoUs for an ultra mega steel plant and a rail line in Bastar.
Meanwhile, a front similar to Salwa Judum has been taking shape. The earlier
movement was led by the late Mahendra Karma; the new one, called Vikas
Sangharsh Samiti, is headed by his son Chhavindra.

The beginning of the Samiti too sounds eerily familiar. In 2005,
Karma began padyatras across South Bastar urging tribals to come out of their
villages and live in camps for a decisive battle against the Maoists. Now,
Chhavindra plans similar campaigns with former Judum commanders. He has sought
government support and police protection, and said he is ready for any
“qurbani”.

The possibility of what this will lead to chills many people. In
the 30 months of Salwa Judum before it fizzled out in 2007, Chhattisgarh saw the
deaths of 325 security personnel, 609 civilians and 165 suspected Maoists.
That’s 1,099 deaths, or a death a day; Judum leaders say the number is far
higher.

A little away from the Faraspal home of Karma stand a series of
monuments built in the memory of his relatives. Near the home is Karma’s
statute with folded hands.

“Including my papa, 95 people of my family have been killed in
this battle. They say I am doing raajniti. I carry the family responsibility of
freeing this area from Naxals,” says Chhavindra, 34. He insists there won’t be
any violence this time, but with police already declaring support, he knows
what he’s preparing for. “Is ladai men qurbaniyan deni hi padengi (this war
won’t be won without sacrifice). Let the first bullet hit my chest.”

As of now, Chhavindra or the new front has little popular
support or military strength. It hopes the government support will turn things
its way. The plan is to go on padyatras and tell villagers to stop supporting
Maoists — just like Karma had done once.

Remains of Salwa Judum

At its peak, Judum had around 100 major leaders. Just around 15
are alive today.

Mahendra Karma had three chief lieutenants heading a district
each — Soyam Muka in Sukma, Chaitram Attami in Dantewada and Mahadev Rana in
Bijapur. Rana was killed. Attami, uprooted from his village a decade ago, lives
in a Salwa Judum camp, while Muka, also uprooted, says he has lost more
relatives than anyone else. “You will find maximum Soyams in the list of the
killed,” he adds, as he mentions his deceased elder brother Soyam Mukesh.

A primary teacher, Muka had picked up the gun at the call of his
mama, Karma. Chhavindra wants him to join the new movement, but Muka says,
“After Karma’s death, I lost faith. When he was alive I thought if he could
defeat death, so could I.”

Another Judum leader, Sattar Ali, was in Karma’s vehicle when
Maoists attacked the Congress convoy in May 2013. “When the Maoists opened
fire, Karmaji came out. He offered his life and saved all of us.”

Chhavindra, who accompanied his father during the Judum
campaigns, is banking on his father’s stature. “When Salwa Judum was on, whose
statements were published? The CM’s? No, it was Karmaji’s,” he says.

During the assembly election campaign for their mother Devti,
Karma’s sons had accused Raman Singh of betraying their father. “It was a
mistake to have taken the support of the government during Salwa Judum. Raman
Singh withdrew later,” they had said. Of late, Chhavindra has been making
public calls for government support again.

The government imprint
Dantewada stands at the confluence of rivers Dankini and Shankhi, names with
diametrically opposite meanings. Dankini means a sting, Shankhi the holy conch.
Led by a Congress leader, supported by the BJP government,
Salwa Judum too had dichotomy as an intrinsic part.

That continues. Dantewada BJP zilla panchayat member Chaitram
Attami was on stage when Chhavindra, a Congress secretary, and others announced
the formation of the new Samiti. Days later, Attami was overseeing laying of a
helipad in Dantewada for PM Modi to land on.

Attami had controlled Judum operations in Dantewada the last
time too, earning Z category security. Guarded by 16 cops, he lives with his
wife and a baby in a camp at Kasauli.

Speaking at Karma’s death anniversary last month, Bastar IGP S R
Kalluri declared his support for the Samiti. “The national media has
misrepresented Vikas Sangharsh Samiti and wrongly compared it with Salwa Judum
so that someone gets a chance to go to the court against it,” he said. Kalluri
asserted Salwa Judum was not properly defended in court, and should anyone
challenge the legality of the new front, he will defend it.

Chief Minister Raman Singh believed that “Salwa Judum was a
people’s movement, a jan andolan.” He hinted at government support to the
front: “On the issue of garnering consent among people, making them ready and
creating a certain atmosphere — there should be awareness. If we stand up
against Naxals on the streets and bring villagers along, I have to ensure they
are protected.”

The state Congress has rejected the new campaign. “The Supreme
Court banned special police officers. The Congress distances itself from this
venture,” says PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel.

The forgotten camps
Across the road from Bastar’s first fortified police station, in Dornapal of
Sukma, is the largest Salwa Judum camp. It once had over 25,000 uprooted
tribals from 72 villages.

Tiny huts crowd narrow lanes. A wistful Janaki Kawasi, 32,
rushes closer. “Have you been to Jagargunda? My village Milampalli is not far
from there. How is it now?” she says. Then, her voice drops. “I know, nothing
can be left now. It’s all deserted.”

Since she came here in 2007 with her husband, she has become a
zilla panchayat member from the BJP. Yet she longs for home. “What’s here?
Everything got left there.”

Over two dozen such camps came up in South Bastar as around one
lakh tribals left their villages, not all of them by choice.

Most Judum camps came up along highways or roads, but the
heavily fortified one in Jagargunda is in the wilderness. It houses over 4,000,
who wanted to stay closer home and ended up vulnerable. Janaki’s father-in-law
Kawasi Hadma was among those who stayed back. He was killed last November.

Vetti Meena recently gave birth to a son in the Dornapal
camp and grieves that he is confined. Her husband was an SPO and is now posted
50 km away. She resigns herself to fate: “Policewale kabhi nahin laut payenge.
Yahin marna hai ab (Policemen won’t ever be able to go back. We will die here.”

There are 184 families still at the camp where Attami stays, at
least 100 of SPOs. The government has stopped providing rations. Guarded by
police, they live in constant fear of attack. Maoists had attacked a Salwa
Judum camp in July 2006 in Errabore, leaving 32 dead, including two babies.
They had also abducted 42 and publicly executed six.

In the 2013 polls, which Karma’s wife Devti contested, his sons
promised to ensure the return home of camp inmates. Eldest son Deepak calls the
conditions in the camps Judum’s biggest failure. “Tribal girls faced the worst
sexual harassment by security forces,” he says.

“How could my father have checked or foreseen that? It was the
task of the government to run these camps. But the government stopped giving
them even rations.”

The renewed fear
Salwa Judum had effectively given the Maoists a boost. Though present in Bastar
for over two decades, they had limited dominance or military capacity. As Judum
leaders pushed villagers out of their homes, the SPOs were accused of torture.
At least 5,000 locals joined the Maoist ranks during those months. From small
dalams, Maoists graduated to platoons, companies and battalions.

Kichhe Nanda is among the SPOs facing rape charges. He denies
that at first, then lashes out bitterly, “We were young, given rifles, and told
to hunt for Naxals.” There were “atrocities” from the other side too, he says.

Editor of daily Bastar Impact Suresh Mahapatra recalls the Rani
Bodli attack of March 2007, when 55 policemen and SPOs were killed. “This
incident was the defining point in my life. When I saw half-burnt and beheaded
bodies, it occurred to me that this war had no rules now,” he says.

Attami, among the earliest SPOs to sign up, says: “You talk
about police atrocities, but do you know what the Naxals did? Agar beta ko
maarna hai to maa aur baap ko us par patthar marne ko bolte the (If they wanted
to kill someone, they forced his parents to throw stones at him).” Accusing the
Maoists of dragging them into battle, Attami adds, “They had a grudge against
capitalists. Why didn’t they kill them themselves? We tribals knew nothing
about the world, but they made us fight their battles. Is it janvaad?”

Sukhdev Tati reflects they were left with little choice: either
become Maoists or fight with police. “We wanted it to be peaceful, but Salwa
Judum had aggression. It failed as we could not tell people what our aim was.”

However, many of the tribals have no enmity towards the Maoists.
“Adivasi log hi to mar rahe hain. Yahan bhi adivasi, wahan bhi,” says Janaki.
Teacher Mandavi says it emphatically. “They (Maoists) are our own people. We
don’t want this violence.”

“Once again the terror and oppression of Salwa Judum is going to
start. Bastar could be protected only if this campaign is defeated,” said a
recent Maoist statement urging people “to rise against the proposed Salwa
Judum-2”.

Where they are now: Key survivors from Salwa Judum

Soyam Muka: Congress member, lives in Konta
away from his Gaganpalli village he left during Judum. Farming. Moves without
vehicle.

Karma family: Mahendra Karma’s wife Devti
Karma is a Congress MLA, two of her four sons hold positions in the Congress.

Kashmiri
militants claim they are fighting for kashmiris, when the very same kashmiris
were suffering from loses due to earthquake why didn't the so-called jihadis
didn't make any relief efforts? Why didn't their foreign master – Pakistan
didn't make any relief efforts? Within the pak occupied Kashmir ( pok) itself,
Pakistan didn't make appropriate relief efforts. It is government of India
& international community who provided proper & timely relief.

The foreign
powers are not at all interested in your well being. They are ready to spend
millions of dollars for aiding terrorism, but not ready to spend a few hundreds
for your education , health care or self employment schemes through NGOs. The
fact is they don't want your well being, they don't want you to prosper, live
peacefully. The ultimate objective of these foreign powers is to take you on
the path of self destruction, destruction of your motherland & to finally
usurp the power, to subjugate you into slavery in turn looting the resources of
your country.

Ofcourse, in
India there is rampant corruption. Still democracy is live & kicking in
India, it is the best form of governance. You have got real examples of
countries in Africa, latin America, wherein the countries have secured
independence through separatist / terrorist movements. The terrorist leaders
themselves have become prime minister / president of newly independent
countries. Now, they are more corrupt & barbaric than their predecessors .
even after getting independence, the lives of commonfolk has become bad to
worse. By independence , only leaders have benefited. Will you lead another
struggle ? this is endless, as the selfishness , greed of leaders knows no
bounds.

In the past,
government of India aided tamil separatists, Pakistan terrorists, etc,
butchering innocents. The government of U.S.A aided terrorists in Africa,
afghanisthan, latin America , murdering innocents. Various countries have aided
terrorism while preaching peace. These barbaric acts were motivated by selfish,
corrupt, ego-centric leaders. Now, in the bomeerang effects of their actions,
innocents are dying in bomb blasts, etc.

Violence breds
violence. Peace & compassion results in all round harmony, prosperity.
Every human being must struggle against injustices in a peaceful & legal
manner. The struggle must be against the corrupt system, for that peaceful
struggle democracy is the best forum. Don't be pawns in the hands of foreign
powers, politicians. They are not at all interested in your welfare, well being.
At the end, it is the leaders who become ministers & amass wealth through
corruption. The common folk like you will remain as fiddlings, minions forever.

Just imagine
yourselves in the place of victims of delhi serial bomb
blasts (29/10/2005) or Mumbai blasts
of 26/11/08 . just imagine the plight of little child MOSHE who has lost both
his parents , imagine Your mother & wife are crying, your children are dead
, your father's hands & limbs are ripped apart in the blast. How does it feel
to be one ? no religion, no god asks it's followers to cause destruction. All
religions, gods are full of eternal love & compassion. Let that god shine
his light, upon you all on the violent path.

Whether it is in
india or else where , democratic system is best form of governance. The people
in those countries suffer due to corrupt public servants . in all such cases ,
the legal , non violent fight must be against the corrupt people , corrupt
police , corrupt judges , CORRUPT public servants but not against the system
itself.

India is a democratic country with self governance of
people. Members of Legislative Assemblies and Members
of Parliament are elected by people to be their representatives
in the respective houses. These MPs , MLAs must represent
the aspirations of people in their constituency in the
floor of the house. They must not work against
the aspirations of people , in that case representative role
ceases. When a people say in bastar district doesn’t
want a particular industrial project in their
area and communicate it to the government through their MPs &
MLAs , who the hell MPs , MLAs , State Government Ministers &
Central government ministers are to impose it on those particular
area people. It is illegal , breach of democracy. In
these type of impositions , public servants take sides with big
industries , MNCs which flout many laws and pays a pittance as
compensation to people. Gross injustices are meted out to public , which
raises discontent in public. Fertile ground of discontented public
is used by criminal elements to raise terror out fits like
naxalites , salwa judum , etc. Law must be held high , naxalites , salwa
judum cadre must be dealt with the same footing on the same ground
and root cause must be addressed by government. Any displacements of people ,
invite to big projects must be done as per the aspirations of people , if
people don’t want a project , a skewed model of
development , reject it. Who the hell government ministers are to impose it on
people . Ministers are public servants not dictators to impose on
people.

Naxalism a result of an oversight of
statutes, says SC

Emphasising on validation of rights of
tribals and forest-dwellers over the forest lands, the Supreme Court has said
that Naxalism was a result of an oversight of constitutional provisions
relating to administration of schedule areas and tribes of the country.

"Nobody looks at Schedules V and
VI of the Constitution and the result is Naxalism. Urbanites are ruling the
nation. Even several union of India counsel are oblivious of these provisions
under the Constitution," said a Bench led by Justice A K Patnaik.

The Bench made a reference to Schedules
V and VI as they contain various provisions relating to administration and
control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes in several parts of the
country. These provisions apply to states like Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa
and Rajasthan and Northeastern states such as Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and
Mizoram. Essentially these Constitutional provisions, with the help of plethora
of judgments by the apex court, act as a guarantee to indigenous people on the
right over the land they live in and its produce.

During a recent hearing on fresh
guidelines over tiger reserves, the Bench made certain queries from Additional
Solicitor General Indira Jaising over the Centre's proposal to relocate
indigenous people who were still living in the core areas of tiger reserves.

The ASG had informed the Bench there
were around 43,000 families still residing in core areas of tiger reserves and
that the plan was to gradually move them out after proper consultation with
Gram Sabhas. On being asked about the legal provisions to support the argument,
she also read out from the 2006 Forest Rights Act and the Panchayat (Extension
to Scheduled Areas) Act.

Asserting that all stakeholders should
first ensure the legal rights of the tribals are not violated, Justice Patnaik
said their rights must be settled in accordance with the provisions of the law.

"There is apparently no
human-tiger conflict at least as far as these tribals are concerned. Everyone
must remember that forests belong to forest-dwellers. British government
considered forests of immense value and said through laws that all forests
belonged to government. These people were brought down to poverty and they
couldn't earn their living. They will be arrested for consuming the forest
produce; such was their law," said Justice Patnaik.

His concerns were echoed by senior
advocate Dushyanat Dave, who said forest-dwellers used to get arrested trying
and collect wood or pick fruits from the forests.

The Bench, however, seemed satisfied
with the promulgation of the 2006 Forest Rights Act and said this situation was
sought to be reversed by the new legislation as it sought to identify their
rights.

"One law can make a big
difference. Zamindari abolition law is a good example how a law can reverse the
situation," said Justice Patnaik, adding it was not the state but its
forest departments' officers who did not want to give up their control over the
forests.

At this, the ASG said the Centre was
conscious of its duty towards protecting the rights of forest-dwellers and
would relocate them after following the legal process.

Subject : - PIL Appeal To Honorable Supreme court
of India For Writ of Mandamus
ATROCITIES
AGAINST DALITS IN KARNATAKA BY HONOURABLE GOVERNOR OF KARNATAKA

In Karnataka dalits are oppressed in various ways by the
influential people ,

1.In the
recruitment process at Karnataka State Open University , vice chancellor
/ vested interests recruited unfit candidates belonging to their own community
sidelining the deserving dalit candidates .

4.In the
recruitment process of KPSC for gazetted officers , vested
interests recruited unfit candidates belonging to their own community
sidelining the deserving dalit candidates .

5.The Karnataka
government officials immediately evict temporary hutments built
by tribals , dalits on government land and demolish those hutments.
Whereas they allow huge buildings , complexes to be built on
government land by influential upper caste people. The government
has kept those illegal buildings intact for years , allowed the
encroachers to earn lakhs of rupees and now in the process of
regularizing those illegal encroachments.

The honourable governor of Karnataka , instead of
taking legal action and legally prosecuting the guilty has taken
side with the guilty themselves. He has approved AKRAMA SAKRAMA scheme of the
government , no action was taken against vice chancellors of KSOU & Mysore
University, etc. This is nothing but indirect way of atrocities against dalits
, by supporting perpetrators of atrocities.

As a result , Since years unfit people are working as KAS
officers , unfit people are working in KSOU , Mysore University , Unfit people
are working in medical colleges of Madya / Hassan / Mysore / Shimoga and
earning thousands of rupees monthly salary. Influential upper caste people are
earning lakhs of rupees as rent from land encroachments and are on the verge of
becoming legal owners of encroached lands.

The poor dalits although talented & deserving are without
jobs , without livelihood & shelter.

Hereby , we appeal to Honourable
Supreme Court of India ,

1. To criminally
prosecute government of Karnataka chief secretary & governor of Karnataka ,
for all the above mentioned recruitment scandals , for their failure of duties.

2. To immediately
evict land encroachers & prosecute them.

3. To recover monetary gains
made by the encroachers.

4. To terminate the services
of unfit candidates selected in the above mentioned recruitment processes.

5. To legally prosecute
the recruiting authority officials in all the above recruitments.

6. To make proper
appointments with due consideration to dalits , backward class
people in all the above institutions.

Rich builders , crooks in their greed for more
money ( knowing fully well the illegalities ) have
constructed buildings on public land ,
constructed buildings violating the building bye-laws.
Now , those crooks are earning lakhs of rupees rental income .
The government law enforcement agencies were mum ,
didn’t demolish such buildings in time , allowing time for crooks
to benefit from anticipated regularisation.
However the same government agencies have not shown kind
consideration to poor people who have constructed
temporary hutments on public land . Those hutments were immediately
demolished & people evicted. The government is not giving land
/ livelihood rights to tribal people living in areas bordering forests.
The forest officials are slapping charges against tribal people who are
living in forests since centuries , where as the same government is
permitting resorts , hydel power companies in the same forests.

Whether in the cities , towns or in villages , the
backward class people are struggling hard to earn their daily income , daily
bread , let alone encroach government land & build a house. Even if
they do , the local biggies , political chelas , panchayath members
belonging to upper caste will immediately evict them & demolish the
illegal structure.

Majority of illegal land encroachments in cities
, towns & villages are done by persons having
political influence , money power & belonging to majority upper
caste communities , in their greed for money , wealth.

These building bye-law violators , Land grabbers are not
poor people living below poverty line earning only rupees
32 per day as per planning commission of india. These rich crooks don’t
deserve sympathy , kind consideration as they have committed the
crime knowing fully well the illegalities and they can bear
the loss due to the demolition of their illegal buildings. The government
must also recover rent & other monetary gains made out of those
illegal buildings by the builder.

The recent move of Government of Karnataka to
regularize building bye-law violations & Public
Land Grabbers amounts to :

Hereby , we appeal to Honourable
Supreme Court of India to annul the government of karnataka’s
move to regularize illegal land encroachments.

Date :
01.02.2014
Your’s sincerely,

Place :
Mysore
Nagaraja.
M . R.

KPSC scam: Hiremath urges CID for
report

Convener of the Jan Sangram Parishad and social activist S.R.
Hiremath on Friday urged the CID, which is probing the Karnataka Public Service
Commission scam, to submit its final report at the earliest.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Hiremath said the CID was yet
to complete its final report even four months after the submission of the
interim report. Though he was full of praise for the comprehensive manner in
which the interim report was prepared, he said action against the guilty could
not be initiated based on that alone.

He urged the government to show its commitment to providing
clean and corruption-free administration by taking action against KPSC former
chairman Gonal Bhimappa and others allegedly involved in the scam. He demanded
that charge sheets should be filed against them, besides arresting them. He
also demanded that assets disproportionate to their known sources of income
should be confiscated by the government. “The intention is to not only bring
the guilty to book, but also to prevent recurrence of such incidents,” he said.

He urged the government to cleanse the KPSC by remodelling it on
the lines of the Union Public Service Commission.

Expressing concern over the allegations that bribes to the tune
of Rs. 70 lakh to Rs. 1.5 crore had been collected from the candidates by the
KPSC members to give them posts of assistant commissioners, Mr. Hiremath said
this would affect the fabric of the State administration.

CID
submits report on KPSC recruitment scam

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which carried out a
probe into the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment scam,
submitted its report to the Government on Wednesday.

The State Government had ordered a CID inquiry into the alleged
irregularities in the selection of candidates for Gazetted Probationers Group A
and B posts by the KPSC earlier this year. The Government order came after
several candidates complained of corruption in the selection process.

CID sources said the inquiry report was submitted by the
Director-General of Police, CID, Bipin Gopalakrishna, to the Chief Secretary
and Home Secretary, Government of Karnataka. A copy of the report was also
submitted to Director- General and Inspector-General of Police Lalrokhuma
Pachau.

CID sources say that a draft chargesheet will be submitted to
the government in a week's time to seek sanction for prosecution of the public
servants mentioned in the report. After the government approval is received, a
formal chargesheet will be submitted to the court.

The CID probe began after the Department of Personnel and
Administrative Reforms (DPAR) lodged a complaint with the Vidhana Soudha police
against a KPSC member, Mangala Sridhar, and her personal assistant for
demanding bribe from an aspirant. The FIR also included the names of former
KPSC Chairman Gonal Bhimappa, and two engineers of the Bangalore Water Supply
and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

The FIR was filed following a complaint by Mythri, an MD in
Paediatrics and the topper in the ST category in the KAS exams, who had alleged
that she was given low marks in the interview after she refused to heed the
demand by a KPSC member for a bribe of Rs. 70 lakh for getting the post of
Assistant Commissioner (Revenue).

U R Ananthamurthy May Write to Prez over Appointment of
V-Cs

The controversy
over the appointment of Davangere University vice-chancellor may reach the
President of India. Dr U R Ananthamurthy, Chairman of the Search Committee
constituted for the selection of vice-chancellor, is thinking of writing to
President Pranab Mukherjee over the way the V-Cs are being appointed in the
State.

Reacting to the
controversy, Ananthamurthy told Express, “I will speak to the Chief Minister
about the issue. I want the Chief Minister to take the up the issue, and if he
doesn’t, I will take up the issue to President.”

“I know that we
cannot change the appointment which is already made. But my wish is it should
not happen in other appointments,” Murthy said.

He said he is
disappointed with the way some members of the Search Committee behaved. “Some
members wanted to send four names in the panel, which is against the rule. When
I suggested a senior Kannada professor’s name, one of the members said, we need
a person who is capable of bringing money from corporate sector as V-C and not
the one who studied literature,” he said.

According to
Murthy, some members had decided on who should be the V-C. “It is really an
insult to me. I wanted the process to be transparent and merit-based. The
Chancellor did not consult the government while issuing the order and the
government’s consent was not taken,” he said.

“Once the panel
report is submitted to the government, the responsibility and the role of the
search committee ends. The final decision lies with the Governor as per rules.
The Chairman of the committee did not raise any objection when the names were
finalised. Why is he going to government now for one person. Is it not
lobbying?”

“It’s between the
government and Governor. The committee’s work is over,” he remarked.

CM Favours One
Candidate, Guv Appoints Another

The Search
Committee, headed by Jnanpith awardee and former V-C of Mahatma Gandhi
University, Kottayam, U R Ananthamurthy decided to conduct interviews before
finalising names for the V-C’s post. The committee met in the first week
of November, shortlisted 16 candidates and asked them to come for an interview
on December 17 with powerpoint presentations about their views.

After the
interview, the committee finalised three names. The first name was Dr
Janardhan, second was Dr L Gomathi Devi and the third was Dr B B Kalival. It
submitted the list to the government.

Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah personally examined this list and considering the social justice
and merit, he approved Gomathi Devi’s name and forwarded it to Governor and
Chancellor. But on Saturday, without consulting the government or the CM, the
Governor issued the appointment order by approving Kalival’s name.

‘I am Hurt’

Reacting to these
developments, Gomathi Devi said, “I am really hurt with this. But I cannot
question the decision of the Chancellor. I can say that I was capable and
eligible (for the post).”

Governor seeks inquiry into Karnataka State Open University
irregularities

MYSORE: Based on a request from department of higher education,
the governor had directed the ?Governor seeks inquiry, Karnataka State Open
University (KSOU) VC to inquire and submit a report on the alleged
irregularities in the university on six counts. Issues which should be inquired
into include marks card scandal and appointment of 21 regional directors
causing illegal expenditure to the university to the tune of Rs 2 crore per
annum.

Governor's secretary in his letter written on behalf of the
former to KSOU VC had claimed that governor has directed him to seek comments
if any in the matter in respect of six allegations.

First allegation is about marks card scandal in which the
authorities under the supervision of deputy registrar have tampered the marks
cards of degree students. "There are more than 300 incidents of tampering
since 2006 to 2010," the letter noted adding that though a couple of
officials have been sent home, deputy registrar HL Vishwanath under whose
supervision the scandal took place has continued in his service and promoted to
registrar's post.

Another major allegation is temporary appointment of 21 regional
directors in violation of section 2(9) (3) of the general recruitment statute
2004 of Karnataka Universities Act and hiking their salaries resulting in
serious financial burden on the varsity. Appointment and continuation of 21
regional directors is per se illegal, the letter said adding that the action
has to be initiated against the concerned accused persons.

Letter also pointed out that KSOU illegally regularized the
services of 28 temporary assistant professors in violation of the appointment
norms, rules and regulations and these appointments are in contradiction of the
UGC rules and directly contravened the Apex court judgment, the letter pointed
out.

Letter revealed the bizarre violation of the rules by KSOU
authorities in promotion of an electrician and a water supply operator as
junior engineers.

Letter raised the issue of mass copying by students in the
examinations and said action of the university to open centres outside
Karnataka is in direct contravention of the Supreme court judgment in Yashpal
case suggesting a detailed inquiry into it.

Governor said VC should send his comments on the issues raised
in the letter with in 30 days and if he fails to respond he will be free to
take appropriate decision on the irregularities on the basis of the records.
These irregularities took between 2006 and 2013.

MYSORE: Former president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat
Chandrashekar Patil has lashed out at writer and former Mysore University
Vice-Chancellor D. Javare Gowda for defending his son J. Shashidhar Prasad in
the university recruitment scandal episode.

Prof. Javare Gowda went on a fast in the city on Wednesday and
defended Prof. Prasad, who is at the centre of a controversy surrounding the
recruitment process in the university. Prof. Prasad was also Vice-Chancellor of
the University of Mysore.

A one-man commission probed the recruitment scandal and pronounced
Shashidhar Prasad guilty of violating University Grants Commission recruitment
norms. But Governor H.R. Bhardwaj, who is also the Chancellor of the
university, stayed criminal proceedings against Prof. Prasad on the grounds
that it was illegal.

This resulted in vociferous reactions by students and staff of the
varsity.

Pained by the series of agitations, Prof. Javare Gowda said the
recruitment of candidates was approved by the university Syndicate and the
Registrar, and hence, all had to shoulder collective responsible for the
process.

This stance has incensed teachers.

Prof. Patil, who addressed a press meet here on Thursday,
criticised the move to undertake the fast. “Being a senior writer, Prof. Javare
Gowda should have maintained a dignified silence instead of blindly defending
his son. Mahatma Gandhi used fasting as an instrument to pursue a noble cause,
but Prof. Javare Gowda used it to serve a selfish end,” he said.

Prof. Patil, along with film actor Lohitashwa, staged a
demonstration at Gandhi Square in condemnation of the fast.

Mr. Lohitashwa said the Governor should direct the Government to
invoke the provisions of law against Prof. Shashidhar Prasad and uphold the
sanctity of the University of Mysore.

Prof. Patil also took a dim view of a few writers who supported
Prof. Javare Gowda and said the latter's love for his son was understandable,
but the support of the writers was incomprehensible. Prof. Patil said if those
responsible for violating recruitment norms in the university were not
punished, a Statewide agitation would be launched.

ABVP plans
Manasagangothri bundh tomorrow

Mysore, August
14, DH News Service:

Akhila Bharathiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP) has called for
Manasagangotri bundh on August 16 urging the State Government to file a
criminal case against former vice-chancellor of University of Mysore, Prof
Shashidhar Prasad for recruiting 162 persons by flouting rules and regulations.

In a press release here, K Vasanthkumar, divisional organising secretary of
Mysore Division of ABVP said Prof Shashidhar Prasad, during his tenure, filled
up 162 posts in teaching and non-teaching categories by not following any
prescribed rules and regulations.

This is a biggest scandal and has been a black spot in the history of
University of Mysore. The deserving candidates belonging to the SC/ST, backward
classes and minorities, had been denied jobs. An committee headed by retired
judge of Karnataka High Court, H Rangavittalachar, constituted to probe the
allegations, has given a report that irregularities has been committed in the
appointment of 161 persons. Besides, the committee had stated that roster has
not been violated by the varsity.

Subsequently, the government directed the varsity authorities to book a
criminal case against Prof Shashidhar Prasad.

He said later, the incumbent Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj, has
written a letter to the vice-chancellor, Prof V G Talawar not to book criminal
case against Prof Shashidhar Prasad. The governor who talks of corruption in
mining, is trying to shield Prof Shashidhar Prasad who has been indicted by the
inquiry commission. This has given room suspicion about the style of
functioning of the chancellor’s office.

He said their demands are; filing criminal case against Prof Shashidhar Prasad,
cancellation of all 162 appointments done by him, starting recruitment process
afresh, action against members of Academic council and Syndicate who were
equally responsible for recruitment.

The ABVP has planned post card campaign on this issue. It has requested all the
students to send post cards to President Pratibha Patil seeking her
intervention and directing the government to proceed with the criminal case
against Prof Shashidhar Prasad.

Probe
into lapses in medical college recruitment

Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil has said that he
will order a time-bound probe into the alleged irregularities in the
recruitment process in government medical colleges in Hassan and Mysore two
years ago.

It is alleged that posts in the these medical colleges were
filled during the tenure of Ramachandre Gowda as Minister for Medical Education
in the BJP government without approval from the Finance Department.

Dr. Patil told presspersons here on Tuesday that Mr. Ramachandre
Gowda resigned following the controversy but the officials concerned were not
booked. Though an inquiry by the then Additional Chief Secretary was ordered,
it did not take off as the officials had retired by then, he added. “I was
surprised by the way the issue was handled. I will apply my mind and order a
time-bound probe. The guilty will be punished,” he said.

Similarly, another scam — the submission of fake certificates in
the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) — would be handed over to the
Lokayukta, to abide by the recommendation of the committee headed by Gururajan,
he said.

It is alleged that four senior staff members of MIMS produced
fake experience certificates to get jobs in violation of regulations.

On the Rajiv Gandhi Super-Speciality Hospital Raichur, popularly
known as OPEC hospital, which was closed down a year ago, he said that the
government was particular about retaining the hospital in the government
sector.

“If there is a technical problem, then will we think of having a
private partnership,” he said.

Efforts are on to revive the hospital. A report had been sought
from the hospital director on the condition of building and medical equipment.
“Based on the report, the building would be refurbished. A sum of Rs. 1.20
crore has been set aside for this,” he said.

A walk-in interview would be held to fill vacant posts, he
added.

With the contract between Apollo Hospitals and the government
expiring, OPEC hospital closed down on June 1, 2012.

Eight
persons accused in Dalit atrocity case in jail

The Nangli police
in Kolar district on Wednesday arrested all the eight persons accused in a
recent case of atrocities on Dalits at Kagganahalli in Mulbagal taluk. All of
them were produced before court which remanded them in judicial custody till
February 6, Mulbagal Deputy Superintendent of Police T. Siddaiah told The
Hindu . The arrested were lodged in the sub-jail here. The situation
in the village is peaceful now, Mr. Siddaiah added.

The Nangli police
registered a case following a caste abuse complaint lodged by Nagabhushan, one
of the members of four families which were facing boycott, on January 21.

Shankara Reddy,
Keshavappa, Suresh, Krishna Reddy, Anjaneya Reddy, Srinivas, Narayanaswamy and
Munivenkata Reddy are the arrested. A police team arrested the accused when
they were on their way to get bail from court.

Boycott

Four Dalit
families of Kagganahalli accused that upper caste people imposed a social
boycott on them, prompting Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya to visit the
village a couple of days ago. Mr. Anjaneya then warned that social evils such
as boycott of Dalits cannot be tolerated and that action would be taken against
the culprits.

PRACTICE OF
UNTOUCHABILITY BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN INDIA
- VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF DALITS

In india , rich people belonging to forward castes form
educational trusts , proclaiming that they want to serve the society by
providing education to all irrespective of caste or creed. By this declaration
they get Civic Amenity sites from government authorities at concessional rates.
Further they get tax , duty
exemptions on materials , machines they import for the educational institution.
However , while admitting students they are purely commercial minded
, the highest bidder gets the seats.

IF AT ALL THE SOLE AIM OF THESE INSTITUTIONS IS COMMERCIAL –
LET THEM BE REGISTERED AS COMMERCIAL BODIES , ASK THEM TO GET SITES AT
COMMERCIAL MARKET RATES , ASK THEM TO PAY TAXES ON
MATERIALS , MACHINES & THEIR YEARLY INCOME. ENFORCE MINIMUM WAGES ACT ,
GRATUITIES ACT , P.F & ESI ACT TO THESE INSTITUTIONS WHO ARE PAYING A
PITTANCE TO THEIR STAFF.

Some institutions like industrial training institutes ( I.T.I) , polytechnics ,
engineering colleges & medical
colleges run by trusts floated by forward castes lack basic infrastructure , to
teach students properly , they only appoint staff belonging to thier castes.
Dalits , minorities , weaker section people are not at all selected. They don't
publicly advertise for vacancies. They fill all posts with thier own caste
people & finally even get government grant in aid. How ? These institutions
are getting affiliations , yearly approvals form the government , how ?
actually they should have been shut. These trusts want government
backing for tax exemptions , lands at concessional rates ,monetary benefits ,
etc , however the same trusts are not willing to implement the social welfare
objectives of the government , by providing seats to weaker sections , by
providing appointments to dalits few posts in all category of
positions ( not just group D - dalits are also brilliant & capable of
performing all jobs, they have proved it ).

Hereby , we urge honourable prime minister of india , government of
india & honourable chief minister of karnataka
, government of karnataka to :

1. before giving lands at concessional rate , tax exemptions , to any
educational trusts the government must ensure that the trust must adhere to the
social welfare norms of the government from day one.
2. Before giving affiliations to educational institutions the govt must ensure
, are the institutions are providing sufficient infrastructure to students ?
3. Before giving grant in aid to any institution , the government must ensure
have the management provided jobs to dalits , minorities , etc as per norms
from the day one . if not grant in aid should be
rejected. Here there is no meaning in giving reservation of jobs in future
appointments in those institutions , as all the posts are presently filled with
forward castes , there is no expansion projects.
So , dalits have to wait for another 30-40 years to get the vacancies in those
institutions after the retirement of forward caste employees , which is not at
all practical or realistic .
4. In karnataka state , numerous Industrial Training Institutes ( ITI) have
mushroomed , some don't even have basic infrastructure. Still they are running
the show , how ? these ITIs run by forward caste people have appointed only
their caste people to all posts , not even a single dalit is there. Still they
have got government grant in aid , how ? we urge honourable chief minister of
karnataka , to look into this & in future to provide grant in aid in aid to
only those I.T.Is which have proper infrastructure & dalits , weaker
section employees on their pay-rolls.
5. To order all educational institutions to make public announcement of
vacancies in their institutions even though not covered under grant in aid , as
they have already taken sufficient monetary
benefits from the government.
6. To order all educational institutions , to admit students as per government
rates of fees. Some institutions are fleecing higher fees from the students ,
but are giving receipts for lesser amount only.
7. If any educational institutions don't agree with the
government norms , those institutions must be asked to be registered
as commercial bodies , no tax exemptions , lands at concessional rates ,
allotment of CA sites should be given to them by the government.

By these measures alone poor & weaker section people will get justice . you
are aware of merited but poor students committing suicides year
after year , CET fiasco - due to their financial inability to join medical or
engineering colleges. Numerous similar cases are there with regard to admission
to ITIs .
polytechnics. The greed & casteism of these
educational institutions is reigning high. In the positive hope that you will
be kind enough to put an end to this menace.

ELIMINATE MANUAL SCAVENGING
BUT NOT SCAVENGERS

- an appeal to honourable
supreme court of India

In India, since independence certain affirmative actions by the government like
job reservations , reservations in educational institutions , loan facilities ,
etc are extended to the backward class , oppressed people. However , the
persons who have economically, socially become stronger on the basis of these
government affirmative actions are not letting their own brethren – scavenging
community to utilize the same. The politicians are just making noises
about sub caste reservation for scheduled castes & tribes , but doing
nothing. As a result , today we find some sub-castes & tribes of SC / ST
better off than their previous generation, some other sub-castes & tribes
of SC / ST are reeling under utter poverty , social ostracism , etc.

A human being can be in a civilized form , healthy - if we have
scavengers to clean our toilets , drainages , if we have barbers to cut our
hairs. The very same people who keep us healthy & civilized are not treated
in a civilized manner by the society , why ? most of the town municiapalities ,
city corporations are employing scavengers on daily wages without any
statuotary benefits & are paid less than the statuotary minimum wages.
every towns & cities in India are bursting with population growth ,
however the number of scavengers has not been increased in proportion to the
growth of population , In most of the cases the existing scavengers are
overburdened with the work load. , Most of them are suffering from
occupational health hazards , are dying at young ages leaving their families in
the lurch.

Hereby, we appeal to honourable supreme court of India to treat this as a
PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION & to order government of India , all state
governments , statuotary bodies

1.
to regularize the jobs of all scavengers , to provide all statuotary benefits
like ESI,PF, etc.

2.
to take all necessary steps to eradicate manual scavenging – carrying human
excreta on heads.

3.
to take all necessary steps to protect their health & occupational safety.

Bottomline : all the citizens ,
the society must learn to respect their brethren who keeps them healthy , tidy
& civilized. JAI HIND.VANDE MATARAM.

Your's sincerely,

Nagaraj.M.R.

KSOU
ready to face any probe: Vice-Chancellor

Karnataka State
Open University (KSOU) Vice-Chancellor K.S. Rangappa has said the university is
functioning well within the powers assigned to it under the KSOU Act.

Rubbishing
allegations made by Medical Education Minister S.A. Ramdas that the KSOU had
signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with dubious institutions to impart
higher education, Prof. Rangappa said here on Tuesday that all transactions of
the university were done in a transparent manner.

“The KSOU is
prepared to face inquiry by the CID or even the CBI,” he said at a press
conference here.

(The State
government on May 11 ordered a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department
(CID) against the KSOU in the backdrop of allegations of conducting technical
and paramedical courses illegally.)

Mr. Ramdas has
alleged that the KSOU did not obtain the permission of the Medical Council of
India (MCI) to start paramedical courses in association with a certain
institution here.

Prof. Rangappa
said the collaborative institution had to obtain permission from the MCI, and
not the KSOU. He said he was unaware as to why he was being “targeted” by Mr.
Ramdas.

“Arbitrary and
misleading” statements from persons holding responsible positions in the
government could only tarnish the image of the KSOU and jeopardise the academic
future of the over 3 lakh students enrolled with the university, he said.

The KSOU had
entered into collaboration with over 100 institutions to impart distance
education after the Governor, the Chancellor of the university, approved the
statues.

The MoUs were
signed with the institutions later. The KSOU was empowered to enter into
contracts as well as recognise any institution of higher learning or studies
for such purposes, the Vice-Chancellor said.

Prof. Rangappa
said an expert committee would inspect the institutes to ascertain their
credibility in terms of imparting higher education. Based on the committee
report, the Academic Council of the KSOU would accord recognition for such
institutions for collaboration, he said. The Governor had sought all details
from the KSOU in the matter and he would submit them soon, Prof. Rangappa said.

The charge that
more than 1 lakh paramedical students were “cheated” by the KSOU since the
collaborative institutions did not exist was also not true as there were not
more than 40 students enrolled in such courses, he said.

However, the
Distance Education Council (DEC) had asked the KSOU to stop the B.Tech. course,
but the university had moved the court, Prof. Rangappa said.

If the
collaborative institutions failed to function, complaints could be registered
with the KSOU. Contracts with such institutions could be terminated in the
interest of the students, he added.

Registrar of the
university B.S. Vishwanath and deans T.D. Deve Gowda and S.N. Vikaram Raj Urs
were among those present.

Universityof Mysore’s new V-C facing a slew of
allegations

Be it charges of plagiarising his research thesis or pulling
strings for his son’s college admission, rangappa has a lot going against him.

KS Rangappa, who
was appointed as the vice-chancellor of University of Mysore on Friday, is
facing the following charges:

Plagiarism
Rangappa has been accused of plagiarising a Osmania University research paper,
published in an Indian journal, in October 2009 and getting the same published
in an international science journal within a year.

Osmania
University’s professors from the chemistry department - G Vijayalakshmi, M
Adinarayana and P Jayaprakash Rao - had prepared a research paper ‘Kinetics of
oxidation of adenosine by tert-butoxyl radicals: Protection and repair by
chlorogenic acid’ in 2008. The paper was sent to Indian Journal of Biochemistry
and Biophysics on July 16, 2008, and revised on August 10, 2009. It was
published in its edition of October 2006 (Volume 46).

Rangappa allegedly
published the same paper in an international journal, Journal of Physical
Organic Chemistry (Europe), in its April 2010 edition, with his name along with
those of MN Kumara and DG Bhadregowda in addition to the names of the original
authors. Besides that, the address for correspondence was that of Rangappa’s.

DNA had published a
detailed report regarding the issue in its March 10, 2011 edition. Following
the report, a PIL was filed at Mysore district court. The case is still
pending.

Favouring his son
Rangappa’s role in favouring his son in order to get him admitted to Yuvaraja’s
college was proved by a syndicate sub-committee constituted by the university
syndicate. In 2006 Rangappa favoured his son Shobith to get a seat at
Yuvaraja’s college by decreasing the eligibility to 45% when the actual
eligibility was 55%. Surprisingly, Rangappa was one of the members in the
committee constituted to take decision on decreasing the eligibility.

Shobith, who had
not cleared his second PU exams, cleared them by taking the supplementary exam.
After the announcement of supplementary exam results, the eligibility was
brought down to 45%; some days later, the admission eligibility was raised
again to 55%. By this time, Shobith had secured admission.

Dissent note by
Thimmappa
Dissent note on the inclusion of professor KS Rangappa’s name in the panel for
the post of vice-chancellor of Mysore University made by the search committee
in its meeting held on January 4, 2013, reads:

1. A writ petition
Nos. 11444/2012(GM-PIL) filed by Sri. KS Shivaram with serious allegations
against professor Rangappa is pending before the high court of Karnataka and
hence until the case is disposed off in favour of Professor Rangappa, it is
prudent on our part not to consider him for the post of V-C at this stage.

2. Professor
Rangappa is already functioning as vice-chancellor of KSOU and as there is no
dearth of well-qualified candidates for the post of vice-chancellor in the
large number of universities under general education, there is hardly any
justification to consider professor Rangappa again for a second term.
Incidentally, the KSU Act, 2000, ordains only one term for vice-chancellor.

Hence—Thimmappa MS, member, search committee, has stated—I am against
including Prof Rangappa’s name in the panel.

Govt orders
criminal cases against ex-VC of Mysore varsity

Bangalore, June
11, DH News Service:

The State government has ordered filing of criminal cases
against former Mysore University Vice-Chancellor J Shashidhar Prasad for
violating government and university rules while recruiting teaching and
non-teaching staff.

This is the first time that the state government has given the
go ahead for filing of criminal cases against a former vice-chancellor. The 162
appointments made during Prasad’s tenure are now in a limbo. The State
government has issued directions to University of Mysore to file criminal
charges against the former V-C as per Section 8 (4) of the Karnataka
Universities Act, 2000.

In a separate order, the Government has sought details on the appointments made
during Prasad’s tenure and their present status. Following complaints of
violation of norms during the university recruitment process, a one-man
commission headed by retired high court judge H Rangavittalachar was appointed
to inquire into the allegations. The report submitted on September 30 last has
been accepted by the government and on Wednesday gave the go ahead for filing
criminal charges.

The Rangavittalachar commission had found that Prasad violated the University
Grants Commission rules and the State government’s reservation policy while
awarding marks during selection of candidates to the posts of professors,
readers and lecturers during 2006-07.

In addition to the department-wise break-up of appointments
made, the State government on Wednesday also sought from the university
residential addresses of the appointee. According to highly-placed sources,
notices would be served on these appointees shortly. Further action would be
taken based on their responses.

Minister defends
Minister for Higher Education Arvind Limbavali said that the move was taken
only after careful consideration of the issue. “We had an inquiry ordered to
look into the matter. Only after considering this the Government has filed the
criminal charges against the ex-Vice Chancellor,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor
of VTU failed in 7 semesters

The head of Karnataka’s premier technical education
umbrella institution, Visvesvaraya Technical University (VTU), failed in seven
of the ten semesters of his undergraduate degree course in mechanical
engineering.

He finally managed to pass the course, but only after many
attempts, adding up to a total of 25 marks sheets. He now heads a university
which has 200 engineering colleges functioning under it. And the HighCourt is looking
at his claims that he passed in first class. The stack of marks statements of
his shows that he passed only 3 semesters of the 10 without failing in any
subject, making repeated attempts to pass some of the papers in the rest of the
semesters. He could pass two subjects of the seventh semester only after he
passed the 9th and 10th semesters.

While Maheshappa completed semesters nine and ten in 1982, he reappeared for
two subjects of the seventh semester – machine design I and estimating,
specification and engineering economics – in March 1983. In the ninth semester
too he failed in two subjects – metrology and automatic control engineering –
in Feb/March, 1982 and he cleared these papers along with the 10th semester.

Student at the Government BDT College of Engineering, Davangere
affiliated to University of Mysore, Maheshappa obtained a post-graduate degree
and doctorate from Bangalore University, where it was not mandatory to submit a
degree certificate while seeking entry to a PG course or doctoral
programme.

It is not mandatory for a person to have a first class degree to become a VC,
but Maheshappa has been accused of making false claims before the search panel
that selected him to head the VTU for three years from 2010. While he has
claimed that he has a first class degree in BE, those who have filed a public
interest litigation in the High Court have alleged that he has just a second
class degree, and contrary to his claim did not guide any PhD student.

The University of Mysore, during 1980s, used award an engineering degree based
on the scoring of the last two semesters. Maheshappa’s 10th semester marks card
(August/September 1982) mentions that he obtained second class. He failed in
two subjects and his total scoring was 393 out of 775.

He passed the subjects later. In the final semester, he secured 830 out of 1400.
While the university awarded him second class going by the marks he had scored
in the first attempt, he has claimed that after the second attempt he made in
the 9th semester, the percentage crossed 60 per cent.

Copies of the
marks cards, obtained under the RTI, show that the University seems to have
committed an error in the column indicating ‘Total Marks’.

While the ‘Total Marks’ for the 9th semester was 775 in the statement of marks
of Feb/March 1982, the same is shown as 770 in the final semester marks sheet,
where both marks scored in 9th and 10th are mentioned.

The total scoring of two semesters stands at 830 out of 1400 (59.24 %). But it
should be 830 out of 1425 (58.24%).

Maheshappa, in the CV submitted to the search committee, had stated that he had
‘guided’ four PhD students. But a document obtained under the RTI from VTU on
January 5, 2012 has stated that no student has been awarded PhD under his
guidance but he is only ‘guiding’ four students.

K Balaveera Reddy, two-time vice chancellor of VTU, told Deccan Herald: “Any university will go by the marks obtained by a student in
the first attempt. The marks obtained by making subsequent attempts to clear a
paper are not taken into consideration while declaring class or rank. In case
of VTU, the last four semesters aggregate is taken into consideration for
declaring class.”

KU scandal: Probe reveals murky links

Every year,
the accused involved in
the fake marks cards and answer scripts scam in Kuvempu University, “earned”
lakhs of rupees through their illegal deeds. With the investigation taking
shape, police have found answers to various questions like where did this money
go, how was it utilised and more.

However, the
police are perplexed as to why the University has not maintained the details of
its answer sheets, blank marks cards
and holograms, which were stolen by the accused. Interestingly, the accused
have maintained detailed records in dairies and note books on the money and
answer scripts received.

During the second
raid, police recovered more documents on financial transactions and other details like the number of answer scripts
received from a particular agent, registration numbers and the amount received
from the agents. The documents collected by the police also reveal how the
money was spent in the last two years. Main accused Devaraj invested more than
`8 lakh in 10 chit-funds ranging from `1.5 lakh to `10,000 every month, which
was mentioned in the dairy of his wife. They have also purchased gold jewellery
and pasted the receipts on each page of the dairy.

Devaraj is a
group-D contract employee. Now the police
are discussing with legal experts and senior
police officers on how to recover that amount, police sources said.

A senior police officer told Express that the recovered blank answer scripts,
marks cards and hologram are not fake. But the University is behaving as if it
does not know anything about this. It is not bothered about how many blank
answer scripts, marks cards and holograms had been stolen from the University.
During examinations, each examination centre would be given the answer papers
and the in-charge of the examination centres should return the remaining answer
scripts, which should match the total number of copies, to the University after
the examination.

Investigation
should also be conducted on whether the accused have stolen the answer scripts
while transporting them back to the University or had stolen them from the
University itself. If the examination centre in-charge had given the correct
details of thecopies, then the
University store keeper will have to face the music. Otherwise, the examination
centre in-charge would also be held responsible for the scam, the officer said.

Degree
certificate tampering scandal hits BU

Even while the
Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) is battling allegations of
tampering of marks cards, Bangalore University (BU) has a similar problem in
its own backyard. The varsity recently discovered that the degree certificate
of a former student was fraudulently given away to another person during BU’s
41{+s}{+t}mini convocation .

Explaining the
case, BU Registrar (Evaluation) R.K. Somashekhar said B. Sujatha, who graduated
in 1998, took her marks card from the university but did not apply for her B.Ed
degree certificate. When she finally did apply for a provisional degree
certificate last year, BU authorities unearthed the scam where her degree
certificate (bearing her register number) had been given away to another person
named Joshwa Samuel. While the university has now withdrawn the degree given to
Mr. Samuel and reconfirmed that the degree belonged to Ms. Sujatha, the
whereabouts of Mr. Samuel is still not known.

The 30 Billion Dollar
Medical Seats Scam

Fury gripped the grass-roots medical fraternity today as they
vented their anger on Twitter's hashtag#SaveNeetPG in
relation to the “Cash for Medical Seats” scandal. On the 3rd April 2013, the CNN-IBN admirable sting
operation caught the following on camera in relation to “medicalseats for sale”:-

Following the sting operation, CNN-IBN submitted the film to the
Medical Council of India [MCI]. Sadly, all authorities have been lethargic. The
MCI's position on this issue is currently unknown. There has been no
robust statement of reassurance to the media or the public. This is entirely
unacceptable. Despite this clear and present danger to
the public, the MCI refused to have a plan or be pro-active in this issue. Are
they out of their depth?

Indeed, the true extent of threat to public safety not yet known, considered or addressed. This is broadly an
unacceptable and shocking situation. The government and the MCI appears
relatively unconcerned about the potential threat to patient safety. Moreover, it is unknown how many doctors have “bought their way”
through medical school. The true extent of medical incompetence is also
unknown. Moreover, this may have international implications as the number of
doctors from this group may also be working abroad.

The current Health Minister appears relatively unconcerned about
the potential for high mortality rate and threat to patient safety this may
have led to or may indeed lead to. Moreover, this calls into question the
number of competent students unlawfully rejected from medical school/post graduate education in favour of the elite who can pay their way through
anything. The MCI and the current government' supine attitude to this serious
problem raises the question as to whether they are implicated or complicit in
these unlawful activities.

Buying a place in medical school is becoming a easy gateway to
status, power and financial security. Long gone are
ideas of patient safety and integrity. Clearly, the good doctors who have
tirelessly worked hard against these serious obstacles will object to this
unlawful behaviour that places the Indian medical fraternity under public
scrutiny. How can the public now trust India's medical establishment with their
lives? These activities will be causing an erosion in public confidence.

It is interesting
that in April 2010, the President of the Medical Council of India [MCI] was
arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation for taking a Rs 2 crore bribe
to recognise a medical college in Punjab. The CNN-IBN investigation had also
demonstrated how a cartel led by this man flouted the normal procedures of the
MCI with the intention of making money. Moreover, students lacking a background
in science were given places on MBBS courses and colleges with no proper infrastructure
were granted licenses. At that point, the government had apparently dissolved
the MCI and replaced it with a board of governors, but the situation has not
changed at all.

To demand some
kind of accountability, CNN-IBN Live's Mr Rajdeep Sardesai swung into action
from his usual cricket viewing and dog walking to take another bite at this
story. He questioned former MoS Health Minister Dinesh Trivedi on
this matter.

Mr Trivedi admitted that every year more than $30 billion was
involved in “buying” medical seats. During the interview he claimed that 100 or
so medical colleges were being controlled by politicians and
were involved in selling their PG medical seats. “The “big money goes to 100
colleges” Mr Trivedi said.

Trivedi blamed
the conduct of the politicians saying

“It is the job of the government to create capacity whether in
terms of hospitals or in terms of medical colleges, You just have many medical
colleges, just like you've done for engineering colleges. Now there are no
capitation fees. This is the gap that is created purposely kept”.

Former member of
the Dental Council of India, Dr Usha Mohandas added

“It is a
kind of well-established cartel. It is a beautiful network. The world can learn
a lot from how strong this networking has been established for a wrong purpose.
I would want the ministry to take absolute responsibility because the process
of started and ending this is with the ministry, the other people in between
are just via media. The ministry cannot wash its hands off and say that these
are autonomous. If you ask the regulatory, they say we don't know anything you
know, the minister asks us to do the same. This passing of the buck has to end.

All this is not
new of of course. Over the last three years, CNN-IBN has been reporting on the
corruption in the top most echelons of the Indian medical establishment with no
action taken by the government.

The TV channel
wrote

“CNN-IBN
has also been showing how medical education regulators have been approving
sub-standard medical and dental colleges and allowing them to flourish. The
apathy, however, is leading to production of dummy doctors in the country”

Other incidences
include as follows - In 2009, the Times of India reported that MBBS seats were
being sold for Rs12 lakhs-40 lakhs by two private colleges in Chennai. At the
time, the price of the seats were Rs 2 crore in radiology while Rs 1.5 crore
for cardiology, gynaecology and orthopaedics. The hike in price was due to the
reduced number of places available that year for the 32,000 graduates from
medical school.

Times of
India wrote

“Another senior expert, who has held prestigious posts at the
national level, says he has urged the UGC to hold centralized examinations like
JEE for admissions to both MBBS and PG courses. ``It's a national shame to
commercialize education. Besides, death of merit affects the quality of medical
education. When money is paid, these colleges ensure that the exit is definite.
The students pass, qualified or not,''

By 2011, the
Central Bureau of Investigation arrested a doctor from Karnataka in the
PGIMER seat for sale scam. This was the sixth arrest at the time. The
mastermind's main area of operation were Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Punjab and Haryna - where he along with his partners would text individuals
for various examinations offering a seat for a certain price. The price of the
seats ranged from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 80 lakh. Allegedly, seats were offered for
AIIMS New Delhi as well.

In October 2011, Bangalore Police announced “A racket in sale of medical
and dental seats for sums ranging from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 90 lakh has been busted
in Karnataka with the arrest of 11 persons belonging to two gangs”.
There were more complaints of medical seat fraud in Bhopal where a woman was
arrested for allegedly taking money in exchange for medical seats.

By 2012, the CBI
had been investigating more complicated allegations of medical school seat
scam. This particular scam was elaborate involving a Tollywood producer.

The Indian
Express wrote

“We are looking into the role of doctors in collusion with the
accused and medical seat aspirants,’’ the sources said. Police suspect that the
main accused collected huge amounts of money from the medical seat
aspirants. “With the tainted money the producer is planning to make more
movies in the near future,’’ a source said.

Of course, these
are the few stories that were reported. There must be thousands of incidents
that have not made it to the public eye. It is clear that corruption is
widespread in India's medical training system. For now, we know that this
is allegedly a $30 billion dollar scam, with the involvement of politicians who
yet remain unnamed. While the current Health Minister passes the buck onto the
MCI, it is interesting to note that he cleverly diverts the public gaze from
the politicians who may well be ultimately responsible for this scandal. The
MCI have no powers to hold politicians to account.

Not only have
they placed the public at risk but the government faces allegations of illegal
discrimination on a mass scale.

We do not know
how long this unlawful behaviour has been ongoing, nor do we know the extent of
incompetent unqualified people who have been allowed into medical school and
have been allowed to practise in India or abroad.

We do not know how many patients have died as a result, nor do
we know the true scale of this scam. If individuals can “pay” their way into
medical school, to what extent does this dishonesty extend? Is this dishonesty
at dangerous levels now given the endless lists of health related scams in
India. The current health minister had limply stated that there would be an
audit on health related scams “We
have to have audits in future to check health-related scams, including NRHM
scam”. So that would be the corrupt assessing the corrupt
leading to a erroneous result then.

Lastly, how many innocent people are suffering because of the
utterly shameful behaviour of the current government of India? The “Cash For
Medical Seats” Scandal joins the endless list of Indian Scandals that the government has swept
under the carpet by building a cosmetic façade of innocence.

The question is,
how many people will die as a result?

NB Congratulations to the CNN-IBN team and their boss Rajdeep
Sardesai for their superb sting operation and determination in exposing this
wide ranging scandal.

DVS alleges marks card
scam in RGUHS, seeks Lokayukta probe

Leader of the Opposition in the
Legislative Council, D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday said that a massive marks
card scandal was continuing in the Rajiv GandhiUniversity
of Health Sciences (RGUHS).

Citing instances
of two students, one of whom is from the Rajarajeshwari Medical College,
Bangalore, Gowda said the university has been passing students, though they had
failed in some subjects. Such a thing is happening at all the colleges
affiliated to RGUHS, he added.

Gowda said that Harshitha of Rajarajeswari Medical College had
failed in anatomy and physiologypapers in June
2012 examinations. Subsequently, she went for a re-totalling of the marks of
the two subjects, but was again declared failed.

“However, when
the marks cards were issued by the university in December 2012, Harshitha had
passed in the two papers,” he said.

Appeal

The former chief
minister appealed to the medical education minister to
order a Lokayukta probe into the marks card scandal, which he said, is not
limited to one or two students but involved several hundreds.

JD(S) leader M C
Nanaiah said the government must study whether the administrative authorities
of the university will come under the ambit of the Lokayukta Act before
ordering any inquiry. Gowda also claimed that a Rs 266-crore scam had taken place in Karnatak University, Dharwad.